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1
She was going to puke.
Effie stood in the parking lot and stared at the attractive brick building with a simple neon pink sign above the double doors.
Pinkies.
I can’t do this.
There’s no way.
Putting one hand on her tummy and the other over her mouth, she tried to calm her breathing.
This was ridiculous! If she couldn’t even go inside, then she was utterly screwed.
Her phone rang as she stood there, shivering. Montana in February wasn’t exactly warm. Plus, it was eight at night and she was wearing a threadbare coat that had definitely seen better days.
And underneath that coat . . . yeah, she was wearing pretty much nothing at all.
What was she thinking?
Drawing her phone out of her handbag, she groaned as she saw who it was. Not because she didn’t love the person calling, but because she knew she’d have to answer or April would just keep pestering her until she did.
“Hey, Hairy Tits,” she said.
“Are you there yet?”
“Uh, yeah.” Effie eyed the building. “I’m here.”
April sighed. “You’re standing outside, aren’t you?”
“That would be affirmative.”
“Droopy Bum, you need to go in if you’re going to get the job.”
She bit her lip. She knew that. But she still couldn’t get her feet to move.
“I’m scared.”
“Effie,” April said softly. “You don’t have to do this.”
Except she kind of did. She had seven hundred and eighty-three dollars in her bank account. Which didn’t sound too bad. Except her rent was due next week. And that was six-fifty for the month. Then there were the gas, electric, and co-pay bills. Plus, she had to feed Brooks. She could go without food, but her nephew needed to eat. Thank God the scholarship he’d won covered his meal plan at school. It was one less meal she had to worry about.
But he was a sixteen-year-old boy. He needed healthy food and plenty of it.
She was failing him.
“I wish I didn’t have to, but I do,” she replied.
“You know that you and Brooks can come and live with me and Daddy.”
It was sweet of April to offer. She lived in Wyoming with her mountain man husband, who was also her Daddy. And while she knew that Trent would agree with April, she also knew it would be an imposition to have her and Brooks come stay with them.
“Brooks is in an excellent school here. One of the best. He has an amazing scholarship. We’d have to start over in Wyoming. I don’t know if I could give him the same there.”
“Honey, Brooks will do well wherever he is. You know that. I don’t think Brooks is the real issue.”
No. He wasn’t. April was right. Brooks would adapt. She was the one who didn’t want to move, who couldn’t leave the place where all her memories of Joe were.
